RealSense Prosperity Place, the United Way of Northeast Florida's new financial resource center in Springfield, has received a $15,000 grant from State Farm Insurance.

The grant will allow RealSense to expand its free financial services for individuals, such as budget development and credit counseling, as well as provide more group educational opportunities, including homebuyer assistance classes and foreclosure prevention workshops, according to a news release.

Prosperity Place will be the hub of these services. RealSense currently provides more than 10,000 hours of financial education annually.

“We sincerely appreciate State Farm’s commitment to our community,” said Connie Hodges, president of United Way of Northeast Florida. “The organization is truly a good neighbor that is creating better lives for all.”

The entire community benefits when families are empowered to make good financial decisions. Increasing services at Prosperity Place will help more people learn the skills they need to become financially stable, according to the release.

"United Way’s RealSense initiative is a leader in financial education,” said Julie Smith, State Farm Community Specialist. “We look forward to working together to build greater financial stability for Northeast Florida families through the implementation of this grant.”

The lead partner in Prosperity Place is Family Foundations Inc., which for more than 60 years has provided practical financial and mental health counseling and asset building opportunities to help thousands of Northeast Florida residents achieve financial stability.

Another partner, Ulrich Research Services, tracks participants long term to gauge the impact of workshops and counseling. Results show that "participants who take action to improve their financial condition are more likely to pay their bills on time and feel more confident in their ability to manage their finances," according to the release.